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Sneakers Tell Stories Vol. 10

By: Charlie Green

Aylmer’s Chuck Taylors

The versatility of the classic Chuck Taylor silhouette was a must in most schoolyards in the 90’s, and Aylmer’s hometown of Fremont, California was no exception. The shoe was tough on the pavement and tough to get off. Whether he was hooping or skateboarding, the Chucks had him covered. On the playground, Aylmer made more friends wearing J’s but still felt extra confident when wearing his All Stars. It was one of the first shoes he can remember wearing, and he even learned how to tie shoelaces in Chuck Taylors. He recalls perfecting those double bunny ears. “New Chucks for homecoming, leather chucks for prom, I bought too many chucks,” he laughs. Aylmer still feels nostalgic when buying a new pair today, as all the fond memories come rushing back.

Aylmer’s style has changed from his days on the playground, but the Converse All Star has remained his all-time favorite and a constant in his daily rotation. They can be dressed up or down and always add character to an outfit. He believes “footwear is the foundation of your persona; it’s what you base your whole outfit on.” For Aylmer, Chuckers are the definition of hard work. They are a shoe that can be beat up, and he associates them with being productive and taking care of business. He says, “With shoes, you either baby them or thrash them.” Chucks are thrashers. The hard work has payed off, as Aylmer is a talented up-and-coming artist who has added his own spin on the sneaker game.

San Francisco and the Bay Area has had a profound effect on Aylmer’s style as well as his artwork. “What really inspired me as a kid was taking trips down to the city with my parents, seeing the grime and the realness of it. It’s demonstrated in my illustrations; the grittiness, things being out of proportion and wrong but it all comes together as one, creating something beautiful.” He felt this perspective was missing from sneaker culture and the artwork inspired by it. Nobody had tapped into the grimey, abstract world and applied that to sneaker culture. The manifestation of this sentiment is Stomper Haus (stomperhaus.com). His simple, abstract style is a fresh take on popular sneaker silhouettes and his artwork is rapidly gaining attention. His eye-catching work garnered him over 4,000 followers in just 3 months.

Aylmer is a self-defined “sneaker enthusiast.” He used to be a sneakerhead. In high school, he can remember always being on top of what was happening in sneakers. He dedicated time and effort to growing a collection that he has since left in the past. Nowadays it’s more about appreciation for the sneaker as a whole. “I like to deconstruct the sneaker and look at it in it’s simplest form, which is the silhouette. I look at the details of it and fully appreciate the time and effort that these designers took to produce the shoe for us to have.”

When asked about what he wants to accomplish in the future, he says, “I don’t know where I’m going to end up.” Aylmer feels that being in the ‘I don’t know’ is a good place to be. “You have to be your most creative to get out of the ‘I don’t know,’ and you get something great.” Aylmer is truly a talented young man with the world at his fingertips. As a fan of his work, I look forward to seeing what comes from his “I don’t know.”

Do you have a pair of sneakers that tell a story? Share them with us. Post your pictures to Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #SneakersTellStories and include why they are special to you for a chance to be featured on the weekly blog.